Why am 'I' the Villainess?

A 'Warm' Welcome

We were herded into a large open room, resembling an auditorium but much more lavish. Instead of the wooden bleachers in most highschool, there were long couches and plush chairs. Soft carpet covered the floor instead of harsh linoleum.

Large windows lined the wall, though I can't say I remember seeing them mirrored outside. Then again, I suppose that would ruin the aesthetic of the place. The sunlight flowing through them seemed natural if... heavy. It was magic, I guess.

At the front of the room was a dark marble stage. A man stood behind a podium made of some sort of reddish peach colored wood. His face was soft but his eyes severe like a kindly old grandpa that fought in World War 2.

Wrinkled hands clutched at either side of the podium. His hair was a soft white and while he was old, he wasn't balding. In contrast to our rather modern uniforms and the victorian surroundings, he was wearing a royal purple kimono with white and gold accents.

Everything is so different in this world. It's like the creators of the game could decide on a style for this place. One day I'm wearing a Victorian-era dress, petticoat and all, and the next we're wearing kimonos and doing tea ceremonies.

Though, in all fairness, it's a great distraction from the impending... test... and now I'm thinking about it again. Goddess, why couldn't dying spare me of the stress of academic exams? It would make my life so much easier!

Maximus pulled me down onto one of the plush couches. Aurora plopping down next to me, pressing into me. I glanced over at her, even she looked worried. I'll admit, the 'perfect' heroine looking worried made me feel a bit less silly.

I squeezed her hand, giving her a shaky smile in an attempt to... well I wanted to comfort her, not sure how well that came off though. At least Aurora smiled back, so there's that. 

Looking around for Alexander, I don't even remember him walking off, I can't spot him from my sitting position. Why didn't he sit next to me? Where did he go? Maybe Aurora noticed? I doubt Maximus even cared.

A ringing noise echoed through the room, drawing conversations to a close and setting a hush throughout the room. It silenced as everyone looked towards the stage. The old man had his hand in the air, moving it slowly in a circle.

He set his hand back on the podium and cleared his throat. "I am Headmaster Stone. While at my school, I will be your guardian. Should there be any issues, it will make it back to me so be on your best behavior," His eyes sharpened, staring down us students.

"Injustice will not be tolerated. While I understand that many of you have breezed by in life on your parent's name, that will not be the case here. Here, your accomplishments are your own. You will succeed on your own. You will also fail on your own. No amount of Royal Blood will save you if you choose to fail your classes."

The air was suffocating, as were his words for many. While I don't imagine I feel the impact as strongly as others I can imagine that this affected the original Belladonna a lot. This is likely the first time anyone in this room has been on their own when it came to their education. It still makes me squirm and I have experience with being on my own.

"Now," I snapped to attention, "Each of you will go through a series of tests to determine your places in this school. Each of you will be placed into one of six classes depending on your results. From there, you will be placed onto a matching floor where you will be staying during your years at this school. Now, I invite the Deputy Headmaster to the floor to explain your schooling."

Headmaster Stone stepped back from the podium, walking off behind the curtains the framed the stage. Moments later, a woman took his place. She looked younger than the ancient headmaster but still rather old, like a kindly grandmother.